Lucy Ursula Yeates

Lucy Ursula Yeates (nee McLean) was born on Saturday, August 23, 1924, at Georgetown, Guyana. On Memorial Day, Monday, May 31, 2021, she died at St. John's Episcopal Hospital in Far Rockaway, Queens, New York. She was the daughter of Annie Ford (1896-1996) and Henry McLean (1844-1929); it was a marriage that produced three children, Lynette, Henry Jr., and Lucy, all now deceased. Lucy's other siblings included Felix and Oscar Rapier, Tom Ford, and Irene Shepherd. They are now all deceased.

Lucy attended Sacred Heart R.C. School and later Trinity Methodist School in Georgetown, Guyana.  In 1956 she married Richard Allan Yeates (Deceased 2013), and the marriage produced five children Mervyn and Marcia (Twins), Richard, Conrad, and Annie (Deceased 1984). They joined Lucy's previous offspring—Bernard, John (Lennox), and Reginald.

In 1960, she and her family moved to Sparendaam and then Plaisance on the East Coast of Demerara. Many of her children's friends soon found themselves drawn to her warm motherly persona, identifying themselves as her 'other offspring' and seeking the warmth and comfort of her home. During her 16 years as a resident of those villages in Guyana, she was often accompanied by a canine companion Rita and later Lizzie. As a result, she became acquainted with many of the villagers who admired her indomitable spirit of raising six boys, two girls, and a dog—providing them with whatever they needed while still finding enough left to share with so many who had so little.  

Lucy always had a charming smile as she went about her daily chores. However, she demonstrated a quiet inner strength, tenacity, and spirit of accomplishment that endeared her to many.

While in Guyana, Lucy worked as a domestic servant for James Sholto Douglas, then Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, and Mrs. Douglas at their Duke Street, Kingston residence in Georgetown, Guyana. She later became a stay-at-home mother to her growing brood of offspring before migrating to the USA in 1976 with Mervyn and Marcia; the others followed shortly after. Lucy resided in Flushing before moving to Far Rockaway in Queens, New York, in 1996. In the USA, Lucy worked at Ethan Allen Furniture and Ogden Aviation Security Services at LaGuardia Airport. Unfortunately, she suffered a leg injury while working at the airport and retired in 1987.

Lucy was the proudest of grandmothers to Scott, Natalie, Dustin, Andrew, Robert, Marlon, Ashley, Tiffany, Sean, Sheri, Xavier, Christine, Aleshia, Jadah, Ayana, Matthew, Amen, and Khaleb. In addition, she was the great-grandmother of Alijah, Saphiyah, Jasmin, Astreyah, Prince, Mellow, Alexis, Savannah, Vivienne, Cameron, Margaux, Aiyanna, and Amira. Finally, she was the loving mother-in-law of Paula Francis, Dianne Aaron, Anita McLean, and Betelhem Yeates.

A very energetic person, Lucy was known for her outgoing and generous personality, providing help to those in need and often admired for her fashionable taste, trendiness, and culinary expertise, particularly in Guyanese cuisine. Among those she leaves to mourn are her first cousins Millicent (Yaw) Lewis, Claudie Yaw, and Joyce Milne. Her nieces Yvonne Lacon and Annie Meyers, nephew Selwyn Broomes in Guyana, and countless other relatives in the USA, Guyana, Barbados, England, and worldwide.  

Lucy was blessed in the sunset of her life to have some very caring
and dedicated home health aides in Sandra Blackwin, Joy Hinds, Genevieve McFarlane, and Marquita Inniss.

May Her Soul Rest In Eternal Peace.

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